A private hire driver has been suspended after plying for trade, as councillors decided his story about picking up friends after a night out “doesn’t seem to add up”.
According to GlasgowLive, after bring videoed and reported by a hackney carriage driver who had been approached by the same passengers on Jamaica Street near McDonald’s, Orwa Sulaiman Ibrahim was handed a six-week ban.
Mr Ibrahim claimed he wasn’t working and had been picking up friends after a night out, but councillors on the city’s licensing committee weren’t convinced.
The hackney driver reported that he had been flagged down by a couple who “came up to me asking a price to Paisley” in October last year.
“They said ‘this private hire in front of you wants £35 cash, can you beat this quote?’
“I said he’s not allowed to pick you up without booking. They left and went to him, sat in his private hire car and drove off.”
During an interview with enforcement officers in November last year, Mr Ibrahim said: “I don’t remember this particular incident but I can tell you that I usually do not work nights on weekends.”
This was due to “a few bad experiences in the past with drunk customers”, he added. “I like to go out with my friends on the weekend and because I only have one vehicle, I always drive my private hire car.
“I can take my friends home as it is difficult for them to get a taxi home. I can only assume that’s what happened on this occasion and the taxi driver got the wrong idea.”
Cllr Alex Wilson, who chairs the licensing committee, quizzed the driver on his memory of the night. Mr Ibrahim said: “It’s just not that day specifically because I always pick them [his friends] up.”
Cllr Wilson then said the driver hadn’t mentioned he had been clubbing, then to McDonald’s and picked up his friend. “That’s what should have been in this statement if it is true,” he added.
Mr Ibrahim’s representative said if the committee decided his client was guilty then it was his first offence and he had never previously breached his licence conditions.
Cllr Thomas Kerr said: “It seems a tad convenient that when you were asked about this from our enforcement team, it was ‘I don’t remember’ and the day you come before this committee, you now remember it was a friend and your friend is able to provide written evidence saying ‘yes it was me’.
“This happened last year so what happened in between then for you to remember it was your friend? It doesn’t seem to add up whatsoever for me.”
Cllr Wilson added: “There’s a lot of things that just don’t seem to add up in this.
"I can’t understand why a hackney driver would possibly say they approached him and then got into your car.”
Source: https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/glasgow-private-hire-driver-suspended-26682274
An Oswestry taxi boss owner who was pulled over for speeding by police was astonished to discover he had been disqualified from driving several months earlier.
According to the Oswestry Advertiser, Shaun Hill, of Oswald Cars, said he had no clue and no notification that he had received a six-month ban in December 2022, but said he would not have been the person behind the wheel on the date of the conviction in any case.
The 31-year-old, from Oswestry, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified and driving without insurance when he appeared at Welshpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, April 4.
The court heard he was stopped by police driving a grey Volkswagen Golf on the A44 in Lovesgrove, just outside Aberystwyth, on March 13.
“The defendant came to the attention of police as he was driving at speed,” said prosecutor Molly Rumsdale.
“He was pulled over and checks showed he was disqualified on December 13, 2022. The disqualification runs until June 12, 2023. He has since appeared at a court to say he didn’t know he was disqualified.”
Michael Davies, acting for Hill, said there were “bizarre aspects” to the case.
“The case was adjourned a week ago in Aberystwyth for enquiries to be made,” said Mr Davies.
“He was stopped in Aberystwyth, police thought he was driving faster than he ought to be.
"They made enquiries and when they searched the PNC there were no previous convictions recorded at all against him, which should not be the case if he’s been convicted.
“As far as police were concerned they said he was not disqualified and they let him go. But the DVLA said he was disqualified.
“He runs Oswald Cars in Oswestry; he has seven cars and 25 drivers are employed.
“It is the company policy to identify the driver and send information to the police (when an offence arises).
“He had no idea he had been disqualified by Mold court in December. It was for an offence of failing to respond to a notice of intended prosecution.
"He said he never received it. He has been at the property where he currently lives for eight years.
"He would not have been the driver on the day any offence was committed.”
Mr Davies added: “He does a lot of work for the NHS in Telford, Oswestry and Gobowen, transporting medical supplies.”
Magistrates fined Hill £500 and ordered him to pay a £200 surcharge and £85 costs for driving while disqualified. He had six points placed on his licence.
The court was told this would take the points on his licence up to 23 as he previously had 17 points on his licence. However, that will come down to just six as the other points are due to disappear once the ban is served.
There was no separate penalty for driving without insurance.
An Ayrshire taxi firm has expanded its fleet after branching into a popular seaside town. Thistle Cabs Group based in Kilmarnock has taken over from 8'ees Taxis in Troon.
Thistle, which also covers Ayr, has increased its South Ayrshire coverage with the move.
It comes as the team at Thistle were given the accolade of the best customer service in Scotland at the Scottish Passenger Transport Awards.
Thistle were announced as winners at an award bash in Glasgow which saw them beat competition including firms in some of the countries major cities.
But unfortunately the team wasn’t at the awards night and only found out they won through a text message.
Manager Graeme Russell, 47, told Ayrshire Live: “It’s a great achievement for the company.
“We never actually went to the awards because we didn't know we had actually won it.
“It was a Sunday night and we were all working, next thing somebody messaged me from the awards congratulating me.”
Judges assessed the firm for their all round customer service including complaint handling.
And they found that Thistle led the way with drivers and call handlers all coming together to deliver a top service.
Graeme added: “It’s a long time coming as far as I’m concerned. I’ve been at Thistle Cabs for 16 years and I know how hard all the staff work here.
“It’s not just our all round customer service to be honest, it’s even how we deal with complaints.
“It is brilliant for a company in Ayrshire to be recognised as well, it is hugely appreciated.”
The business is owned by father and son duo Ross and James Gilmour.
Ross, 39, is eyeing up a bright future after the takeover of long-standing taxi firm 8ees Taxis in Troon.
Ross said: “With every takeover there are a few teething problems but we’ve got through that.
“We’ve managed to retain all the drivers. The vision is now to try and grow the business in Troon.”
Ross says the timing of Thistle’s move into Troon has worked out perfectly with the town set to host the Open golf Championships next year.
Ross added: “We were conscious that it (the Open) was in the pipeline, it gives us a year to implement what we were going to carry that out.
“It gives us a chance to get to know the local area and businesses a wee bit more.”
Source: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/ayrshire/award-winning-ayrshire-taxi-firm-29690517
A Lanarkshire thug punched his girlfriend in a taxi then threatened the driver with a broken bottle after being told they’d have to walk home.
The Daily Record reports that Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that Ryan McMillan made the frightened cabbie hand back the £8 fare.
McMillan, 24, formerly of Blantyre, admitted assaulting the woman and assaulting and robbing a male taxi driver.
Violence flared as they were being driven along the A725 near Blantyre on April 10, 2021.
Alice Carey, prosecuting, said the couple and another male and female were travelling from East Kilbride in the early hours of the morning.
She told the court: “The woman began an argument with McMillan in the back of the taxi. She shouted and swore at him and brandished a bottle.
“On hearing the disturbance the driver pulled over to the side of the dual carriageway.
“The couple were now in a physical altercation. McMillan grabbed his partner by the hair and punched her repeatedly on the head.
“The other two persons in the back seats managed to split up the fight.
“The taxi driver then asked them all to get out. McMillan became hostile, shouting ‘Give me my money back or you’ll get this bottle in you’.
“He again demanded money and called the driver a p**f.
“The driver gave him £8 and all four passengers made off on foot in the direction of Blantyre.”
Defence agent Jackson Bateman admitted his client’s record is “poor” but said he has been in no trouble since this incident and is working.
Mr Bateman added: “He seems to have made significant changes for the better.”
Sheriff Colin Dunipace deferred sentence until next month and continued bail.
He told McMillan, now of Hamilton: “This is your fifth appearance on indictment for matters relating to disorder or violence.
“At the age of 24 that’s an appalling record and I could easily deal with you today by way of a significant period of imprisonment.
“However, I’ll explore all avenues available to the court.”
A shortage of hackney cabs serving the taxi ranks during busy late hours in Poulton during the weekends has been flagged up in a report.
LancsLive reports that this was one one of the findings in the Tri-annual Hackney Carriage Unmet Demand Survey, commissioned by Wyre Borough Council.
Poulton has a booming night time economy, with a string of pubs, bars and restaurants and late night venues, attracting many visitors from across the Fylde coast who need taxis to get home later on.
But there have been reports of some unruly behaviour when people wait at the ranks for cabs, partly due to an apparent shortage of vehicles at those peak times on Fridays and particularly Saturdays.
Poulton’s main rank is on Ball Street and there were no issues with getting taxis there at other times.
Wyre council commissioned this latest survey to determine if there was an unmet demand for taxis and whether this would require an increase in taxi licences to be issued by the council.
This has been limited to 160 since 1974. However, the report said the issue in Poulton is not down to a shortfall in licences but because some drivers prefer to avoid working ‘awkward, late hours’ when things can get rowdy.
The report by LVSA (Licensed Vehicle Surveys and Assessment) found that increasing the number of licensed plates would not solve that particular issue and it was resolved by the council to keep the existing limits in place until the next review.
Looking at taxi use in Fleetwood, Cleveleys, Thornton and Garstang, the survey found that customers were still happy to wait at taxi ranks across Wyre.
However, it said: “There is, a clear issue that the demand at Poulton particularly is suffering from a reduced level of drivers willing to service those hours – this has got worse since Covid and the last survey.
"This issue does need to be addressed to ensure the continued safe growth of the night life of Poulton.”
Methods to encourage more drivers to work these hours was seen as a better solution than issuing more licences.
Some drivers were asking for more assistance from marshals at busy and rowdy times.
A separate survey also identified a reduced level of wheelchair accessible hackney carriage vehicles in Wyre, with this also seen at ranks, finding that action was needed across the industry to address this issue, including a ‘change in attitude and operation’.
Source: https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/poulton-taxi-driver-shortage-drinkers-26637268
A former paratrooper turned pet taxi driver is in the running for an Animal Star Award for his work in Wakefield and Pontefract.
Tariq Rehman, 75, from Stechford, had his licence removed by Solihull Council in November last year following a complaint from a passenger.
A taxi firm boss has branded the criminal justice system "broken" after new figures revealed almost a third of offenders in the town reoffended within a year.
Dramatic CCTV footage has captured the moment a hooded figure set a taxi alight on a residential driveway.
A Drongan taxi driver has been convicted of sexually assaulting a female passenger after offering to waive her fare in exchange for sex.
Artur Nowostawski has been jailed for six years and nine months after he attacked a taxi driver earlier this year.
Taxi drivers in the city are facing significant financial losses after a series of electric vehicle charging point failures left them unable to operate.
Police are appealing for help to trace a man who disappeared after getting into a taxi bound for the Otley area of Leeds.
The company’s operator licence includes a condition ordering all drivers to undergo the same training as those from other companies.
Police have stopped a private hire driver who was driving the wrong way on the M1 close to Junction 8 at Hemel Hempstead.
Newcastle City Council is set to introduce strict new measures to tackle illegal and inconsiderate parking near Newcastle International Airport.
West Mercia Police is appealing for information following a rape that took place in Malvern's Priory Park early on Sunday, August 4th.
Glasgow taxi users could be facing a near-10% fare increase and extended night-time charges.
At least 14 cars have been damaged since June, with drivers suffering financial loss and emotional distress.
The attack happened at around 12.45pm on Etruria Vale Road, Stoke, when the victim, driving a Toyota Avensis, was punched in the face by one of the men.
Cumberland Council has taken decisive action to protect public safety by revoking the licence of a taxi driver charged last week with a serious racially aggravated offence.
A historic bridge has been closed indefinitely after an Uber car became wedged on Saturday morning.
A local councillor has sparked a debate on passenger safety after claiming that using locally licensed taxis is safer than hailing an Uber.
A taxi driver was attacked and subjected to racist abuse after two brothers refused to pay him up front.
Christopher Hilling, 64, admitted to engaging a child in sexual activity at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday 8 August.